Cable grip support



Sept. 3, 1968 c. T. LEWIS v 3,399,853

CABLE GRIP SUPPORT Filed Nov. 7, 1966 Maw AT TOR NE Y8 United States Patent 3,399,853 CABLE GRIP SUPPORT Charles T. Lewis, P.0. Box 95089, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73109 Filed Nov. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 592,373 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to cable grip supports adapted to be positioned around a cable intermediate its length wherein the cable gripping device has a plurality of wire strands generally spirally interwoven to form an open mesh body that is split longitudinallythereof so the body may be opened to be placed around a cable. The portion of the body adjacent the split has strands forming returns or loops with the strands of the loops extending through rings or other suitable fastener receiving members whereby when the body is placed around a cable the fastener may be applied to close the body onto a tubular form. The support or grip includes a head member at the draft end of the mesh body in the form of a ring with hinged portions whereby said head member may be opened to be positioned around a cable. The strands of the body forms loops at the draft end with the strands extending through spaced openings in the head member whereby the strand extends continuously from an article receiving end of the body to the draft end and return to the article receiving end with the ends of the strands secured together at the article receiving end. The head member is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide members that may be selectively positioned in difierently spaced relation from the outer periphery of the head member for centering the head member relative to correspondingly different openings in a support, the top end of a conduit riser, or the like.

Grips are primarily utilized for pulling cables from conduits or for supporting portions of the cable in vertically disposed portions of conduits such as are known as conduit risers. The present invention contemplates a cable grip support that may be placed on a cable and arranged to support same in depending relation in a conduit riser without danger of damage to the cable and which can be easily disengaged from the cable when the latter is withdrawn from the riser. Other objects of the present invention are to provide such a structure with a sectional support head or ring with hingedly connected portions whereby it can be opened and a tubular body of open mesh strand having loops engaging said head member with said body adapted to grip a cable extending therethrough; to provide such a structure wherein the head member is adapted to seat on the top of a support with a cable and body member extending through an opening therein with said head member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide members for engaging the seat to center the cable relative to the opening therein and the guide members being selectively positioned for centering in different sized supports; to provide such a structure with a mesh grip body that is split longitudinally thereof with the strands forming loops adjacent the split and ring members in each of the loops whereby the body is formed into a tubular member by the ring members being secured together by a fastening device extending therethrough; to provide such a structure wherein the strands extend from the article receiving end to the head member forming loops engaged with the head member and then return to the article receiving end with the ends of the strand secured together; and to provide a cable suporting structure that is economical to manufacture, easily applied, and efficient in gripping a cable extending therethrough.

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Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the conduit riser showing a length of cable therein supported in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cable grip around a length of cable with the fastener for the edges of the grip body removed.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the upper end of the cable support grip.

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view through the guide membes of the head ring.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a cable grip support adapted to engage a cable 2 for supporting, pulling or otherwise supplying force to the cable. In the structure illustrated the cable 2 is shown supported in a conduit riser 3 which is shown as having external screw threads 4 with a fitting 5 screwed onto the upper end of the riser. The fitting 5 may be any conventional conduit fitting such as an entrance cap or box, coupling or the like. A seat member 6 is engaged with the upper end 7 of the riser, said seat ring or member having an axial bore 8 larger than the cable whereby the cable and grip can extend therethrough with the head member 9 at the draft end 10 of a grip body 11 engaging an upper surface or shoulder 12 and providing support for the cable section in the riser.

The head member or ring 9 is provided with depending guide members 13 adapted to engage the inner surface 14 of the axial bore 8 to center the head and cable and thereby prevent the cable from coming into contact with the riser 3 and seat ring 6. In the structure illustrated the head member 9 is formed of hingedly connected sections 15 and 16 with the section 16 having a tongue 17 extending between spaced tongues 18 of a bifurcated end of section 15 and connected thereto by a hinge pin 19. The other end of the sections have faces 20 that are adapted to abut when the ring is in closed position. The ring sections have a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes or bores 21 arranged in one circle .and other holes or bores 21 in a circle of greater radius whereby the guide members 13 may be selectively inserted to adapt the head member for different size ,axial bores in a seat member 6. For economy and ability to change the head member the guide members in the illustrated structure are longitudinally slotted hardened tubular members that form spring members which are readily compressed when driven into the openings 21 or 21' to form a resilient engagement of the tubular pins with the surfaces of the openings 21 or 21, that positively hold the pins in place until driven therefrom.

The grip body 11 is composed of a plurality of interlaced strands 23 with each of the strands extending from a lower or article receiving end 24 continuously to the draft end where they extend through respective openings 25 in the head member and across the top of the head member and then through adjacent openings 26 whereby there is a bight portion 27 between the openings engaging the upper surface 28 of the head member. The strand extends from the respective opening 26 to return to the lower end 24. In the body each of the strands 23 are bent or folded substantially midway their ends to form the return or loop portion that extends through the openings 25 and 26. It is preferred that the body member 11 be not woven in a continuous tubular form. It may be woven substantially flat and then curved to a generally cylindrical shape or substantially tubular form that is split longitudinally thereof. The two sides or sections of each piece of strand extend from the head member through the body portion of the grip and toward the other end in zigzag fashion to form a series of side loops 29, that are opposed at the split when the body is in circular form. The strands of each of the side loops 29 are provided with connectors, and in the illustrated form the strands are threaded through bores 30 of small ring members or ferrules 31. When the body member 11 is placed in cylindrical or tubular form around a cable the opposed ferrules are side by side and the bores 30 align whereby a suitable fastening device 32 secures same together. The fastening 32 may be lacing, ties or the like, but preferably is a rod extended through the bore 30, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The zigzag sections of the wire or strands of the body portion 11 of the grip are interwoven in spaced relation to form an open mesh structure and are so arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the grip that when such body portion is bent into tubular form the rings 32 will align in order that the body portions may be secured together. The free ends of the strands 23 at the lower end 24 are connected by suitable connectors 33 such as metal member gripped thereon. The strands are substantially helices throughout the body so that when compressed longitudinally the body with the connected edges will enlarge whereby it can be sleeved onto a cable 2 and when force is applied tending to elongate the body, it will contract radially to grip the cable.

In applying a grip structure constructed substantially as described to a cable 2 of suitable size the sections 15 and 16 of the head member are hinged to open same whereby the ends 20 are spaced apart sufficiently to be moved over the cable. The grip and head are moved to a cable and the open ends of the head moved transversely over the cable to position the cable therein. The head sections are then hinged to a substantially circular form whereby the end faces 20 are abutting. The side edges 29 of the body 11 are then substantially brought together with the ferrules or ring members 31 of adjacent loops on the respective edges moved to substantially position one over the other with the bores 30 therethrough in alignment and the fastener member 32 is engaged with the rings to secure same together. In the illustrated structure the fastener is a rod with a ring or eye 35 on the upper end to facilitate insertion through the bores of the ring members 31. This completes the assembly of the grip nto the cable so that when force is applied to the head tending to move the grip upwardly the weight of the cable grip by the body will tend to lengthen the body and increase the gripping force by which the strands grip the body. The head may then be seated in seat rings or the like to support the cable in conduit risers, the guide members 13 being positioned in the appropriate circle of holes 21 or 21' to engage the surface 14 of the bore 8 in the seal 6 or riser to center the head member and grip relative thereto. The guide members may be driven from the holes and repositioned in the other set for a different size seat bore.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described a certain form of my invention it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A structure for supporting in depending relation a vertically disposed portion of a cable on top of a conduit riser comprising,

(a) a split ring like head member having hingedly connected sections defining an axial bore through which a cable to be supported is adapted to extend, said head member having a downwardly facing surface adapted to seat on a seat surface of a supporting member for support by the top end of a conduit riser, said head member being adapted to be opened by hinging of the sections for movement into surrounding relation to a cable intermediate its ends,

(b) a cable gripping device having a plurality of wire strands spirally interwoven with each other, said body being adapted to be shaped in a generally cylindrical form to surround a cable to be supported, said open mesh body having a draft end with the strands thereof forming loops at the draft end with said loops engaged with the head member,

(c) a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide members equally spaced from the inner periphery of the head member and depending therefrom to engage the supporting member in the riser to center the head member and cable gripping device relative thereto (d) the cable gripping device body having the strands thereof forming loops at sides thereof and adapted to be brought substantially together when the body member is generally cylindrical and encircling a cable to be supported,

(e) and means engaging said loops of opposed sides to secure the side edges of the body member together in surrounding gripping relation to a cable positioned therein.

2. A cable support structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side opening of the mesh body is longitudinally for the length thereof and substantially corresponds in position to the opening of the head member whereby the head and body member may be opened and moved to position a cable therein and then the head member and body closed thereon.

3. A cable support structure as set forth in claim 2 and including,

(a) ring means on each of said side loops and having bores through which the strands forming the loops extend, and means engaging said ring means of .opposed sides to secure the side edges of the body member together in surrounding gripping relation to a cable positioned therein.

4. A cable support structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein the fastening means for the sides of the body is a rod member extending through aligned bores of ring members on opposed sides of the mesh body.

5. A cable support structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the head member has a plurality of apertures for receiving the depending guide means and said guide means are longitudinally slotted elongate tubular spring members inserted in said apertures and secured therein by resilient engagement with the head member.

6. A cable support structure as set forth in claim 5 wherein the plurality of apertures for receiving the depending guide means are in a plurality of sets with each set in a different circle whereby said guide means are selectively located for centering in different sized openings of support members.

7. In a gripping device of the character described,

(a) a plurality of wire strands spirally interwoven with each other to form an open mesh body portion adapted to be formed in a generally cylindrical shape with side edge portions abutting for placing in surrounding relation with an article, said body portion having a draft end,

(b) said strands extending continuously from an article receiving end of said body portion to the draft end and return to said article receiving end,

(c) means securing ends of the strands together at said article receiving end,

(d) a head member at the draft end of said body portion and having hingedly connected sections defining a ring portion substantially in the form of a circle when in closed position with an axial bore through which an article to be gripped may extend, said head member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores extending therethrough adjacent to and spaced from said axial bore,

(e) said strands at the draft receiving end each defining a U-shaped loop with the strands extending through adjacent openings in the head member with the bight of the loop engaging said head member between the openings,

(f) said open mesh body being split longitudinally with side edges having spaced loops along the length thereof,

(g) small rings having bores therethrough and forming fastening means at each of said side loops with the strands of the loops extending through the bores with the rings of the opposed loops being adapted to be placed wherein the bores thereof align with the axis substantially longitudinally of the body,

(h) an elongate rod arranged longitudinally of the body and extending through the bores of each of the rings to secure the rings of opposed loops together whereby the mesh body extends around an article in a tubular open mesh structure adapted to be in surrounding gripping relation with the article therein,

(i) said head member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in a circle radially outwardly from the strand receiving openings,

(j) elongate split tubular spring pins engaged in said openings of the head member to form guide means therefor, said head being adapted to be engaged with a supporting structure with the guide means protecting the body member and article from contact therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,560,418 7/1951 Di Palma 24123.5 2,602,207 7/ 1952 Kellems 24-1235 2,681,781 6/1954 Kellems 248-60 2,740,178 4/ 1956 Kellems 24123.5 3,216,682 11/1965 Lewis 248-60 20 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

